The University Medical Center is off "immediate jeopardy" status after being evaluated this week to determine if hospital administrators have corrected deficiencies in psychiatric patient care. The ward attracted attention after a patient care assistant was arrested for allegedly raping two patients.
Inspectors representing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began their evaluation Monday. CMS conducted the investigation after an early June examination claimed that the hospital "does not have a policy in place to protect patients from abuse."
CMS officials initiated the investigation following reports in April and May that three female patients were sexually assaulted while in the hospital's psychiatric ward.
The University police department charged former hospital employee Rudolph T. Johnson Jr. with two of the assaults.
The report also found that psychiatric ward restraints were being used improperly. The deficiencies in restraint use were unrelated to the sexual assaults.
CMS gave the hospital until July 3 to correct problems before the medical center would face the possibility of losing its Medicare payment option, which accounted for $230 million last near, nearly 40 percent of its revenue.
Medicare patients also would have seen a break in coverage for treatment if the medical center officials did not make improvements by the deadline.
"We are pleased that the immediate jeopardy status has been removed," said Leonard W. Sandridge, University executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Last week hospital officials submitted a correctional plan to CMS, which would include increasing security camera use on the psychiatric ward, better restraint training for hospital staff and improving the screening process for hiring new employees.
The plan "constitutes the medical center's creditable allegation that the jeopardy to patient health and safety... has been removed," said William E. Carter Jr., chief operating officer for the medical center, in a letter to CMS dated June 21.
"We will not be satisfied until we have met the expectations of CMS on all fronts," Sandridge said. "We are expanding our internal education efforts, instituting new review practices and carefully monitoring all that we do."
"We believe the changes we have instituted are strong and specific and hope that our commitment to delivering the highest quality health care will be evident to the community," Sandridge added.
The medical center still is facing a lawsuit from six former employees who were fired after Johnson's May 15 arrest.
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